Taming the Beast!

Taming the Beast: A Natural Approach to Metabolic Syndrome

All of America’s bad food and lifestyle choices have culminated into conditions such as diabetes and high cholesterol; and now, a growing number of consumers are being diagnosed with a new monster: metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a comprehensive condition that comprises five main physiological markers:

• an elevated waist circumference (men > 40 inches, women > 35 inches);
• elevated triglycerides (> 150 mg/dL);
• reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (men <>more than four times the average annual drug spend for all other patients.”

This beastly syndrome addresses three major components of health:

..heart health,
..blood sugar and
..weight management.

Sure, pharmaceutical companies have drugs that address cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, obesity and more; but, consumers aren’t interested in the pharma giants’ approach to these health concerns.

“We’ve noticed consumers are increasingly interested in novel, naturally derived ingredients that are backed by scientific research and safety trials,” Phillips said. He’s right. Consumers are looking for natural ways to combat weight, glucose and heart issues minus the side effects many pharmaceutical methods have. And, as Phillips pointed out, they’re looking for more economical ways to thwart metabolic syndrome’s hold on their health. However, these products need to be substantiated; otherwise consumers won’t be interested, as Catherine Lecareux, marketing manager of Bioserae, highlighted. “If the industry wants to match the needs of this growing population suffering from syndrome X-related troubles, they should pay attention to what consumers really want,” she said. “Consumers are indeed in need for strong proof that would make them trust the products and the industry. They are more demanding about the origin and the quality of the products they consume, and they now pay a great attention to what the industry offers them.”

But lean lightly on the use of supplements, and functional foods and beverages. The natural products industry needs to be careful not to overlook the underlining issues that cause metabolic syndrome: overeating, stagnant lifestyles, poor diet, etc., as Frank Schonlau, Ph.D., director of scientific communications, Horphag Research and Natural Health Science, pointed out. “For the industry, it will be extremely important to ensure that an ethical position is taken on this issue,” he said. “For a person affected by obesity and metabolic syndrome, it is tempting to take products that are suggested to compensate for an unhealthy lifestyle. This, in turn, allows individuals to continue bad habits, including overeating, poor choices of unhealthy foods and lack of exercise. For the industry, it may be equally difficult to resist from meeting the demand for compensatory products. We in the industry have a responsibility not to exaggerate our abilities to help these conditions. Education of people affected by obesity and metabolic syndrome is critical; unfortunately, it is easier said than done, especially for the natural products industry, to get involved and contribute.”

http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/articles/2010/11/taming-the-beast-a-natural-approach-to-metabolic-syndrome.aspx

http://www.depsyl.com/

http://back2basicnutrition.com/

http://bionutritionalresearch.olhblogspace.com/